Today we welcome author L.B. Joramo to Passages to the Past! L.B. is currently on tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for her novel, The Immortal American (Book One of the Immortal American Series), and today she is here to talk about her novel and to give away a $10 Amazon Gift Card (see giveaway info below)!

And now, please enjoy this post from L.B....

When I began writing the first book in the Immortal American series, years ago now, I wouldn’t have called myself a history buff. I liked history, don’t get me wrong, but I never purposely sought out historical books or any past time to try to know every little thing about it. Most of the history classes I took were in high school and college and were electives that I had to take, but seemed interesting. My favorite class was the history of war. It wasn’t so much about war, but how war influenced the world, beginning with the brilliant tactician Alexander the Great and moving forward to WWII. And I had a fondness for historical literature. My first and perhaps my constant love has been Bill, or whom other people might call William Shakespeare. Simply, I love him. Let me count the ways. Still, I never sought out history. I believe it pursued me. It was Violet, my protagonist, who helped me find that I not only was interested in history, but I loved it. And I mean I will spend weeks in it, trying to investigate even the kinds of bricks used in a building kind of love. When I began writing the series, I first met Violet, who informed me about the basic details of her life. But I didn’t know very much about the American Revolution. So I began my research, hence I could find her thread through it all. I never thought I’d become one of those people who could recite details of battles, but not long into my research I found myself doing just that. My enthusiasm gushed, and, unfortunately, I found myself relaying all those bloody details to the first people who happened upon me, a very sweet Jehovah’s Witness couple. Needless to say they haven’t been back. I know they came to spread The Good Word, but I couldn’t help myself but spread my own. I found my drug: history!I wrote Violet’s first book in a matter of a few months. Even with all the research, I found myself writing faster than I ever had. And why was because Violet kept telling me about her VERY long existence. In the year that Violet first appeared to me, I did as much research as I could and wrote about her life from 1775 until 1918. It was a blur of a year. After that, I received news from an editor that she loved the first of Violet’s books—it had multiple titles, but now is called The Immortal American, thanks to the help of editor, D. Patrick Miller—but that her house didn’t publish novels set in the American Revolution. It wasn’t the first time I would hear such news. With all the tidings coming in from editors about how they loved it, loved my voice, but could I please write in a different age, perhaps the Regency, one would think I’d listen to the advice. And oddly enough, I’m not usually the kind of person who would go against so many people wishing me well and hoping to further my career. But I couldn’t help it. Violet’s story, I thought, just needed to be told. So stubbornly I put my literary foot down, and since I knew the outline and basic research of Violet’s life, I decided to just write about Violet’s life during the American Revolution. More research commenced. And more! In a way, now I’m grateful that The Immortal American didn’t publish immediately. The series would not be what they are now—extraordinarily well researched. And as much as I loved researching, it was during the times when I didn’t think any editor would want what I was writing, that my love for history solidified. I started a blog as another outlet for my drug of choice. My blog is styled like the French salons of the eighteenth century, where I hope people will stop by and discuss the various topics, like what role did women really play during the eighteenth and nineteenth century to the fiscal history of the American Revolution and so much more. I have already had many historians write pieces for me, as well as a history buff that happens to be a literal rocket scientist. You can find my blog at http://blog.lbjoramo.com. Now I can’t go a day without a little history lesson. Currently I’m reading about Lewis and Clark’s journals, and I’m sure many fellow Montanans are thinking it’s about time I did. I live in an area where the explorers traveled through, but I have never taken the time to learn what they said about this lovely area. What I’m realizing today is that I want to research all of it, every era. Yet I have an ironic problem with my quest: In chasing past times, I’m finding I don’t have enough of it now. Thank you for having me on your blog, Amy! I’m truly honored!You can find The Immortal American on Amazon, where it is currently on sale this week June 24 – July 1 for 99¢. Please watch for the second in the series as well as a short story coming soon!

As black clouds gather for America in 1775 Violet Buccleuch transforms from simple colonial farmer to become the Immortal American.
While Boston roars with protests, Violet Buccleuch fights to survive. The lone provider for her mother and sister, Violet knows that soon enough she must surrender to the only option a woman of 1775 has: marriage.
For two years she's delayed a wedding to Mathew Adams, her fiancé. He’s loved her since they were children, and Violet knows he will be a good husband. But he’s gone and committed the most dangerous mistake a man can make: He’s introduced her to his friend, Jacque Beaumont, a Frenchman and a spy, a dark, dangerous man Violet can’t stop herself from wanting.
Then Violet’s life is shattered--brutality, death, and the threat of debtor’s prison surround her. Both Jacque and Mathew come to her aid--one man rescues her farm, the other rescues her heart. As the Battle of Concord rages at her door, Violet is entangled between her loyalty to Mathew, even as she's drawn further into Jacque's shadowy, mysterious world – perhaps a world from which there's no return.

About the Author

I live in the Big Sky state, where I write, research, and love watching my son grow. I do live a bit of a fairy tale right now. Even with all the stress of deadlines, I live in a home where birds serenade me every day, my son amazes me with his humor, and I am doing exactly what I want—writing.

Today, Passages to the Past is pleased to be hosting an international giveaway of D.J. Niko's new release, The Riddle of Solomon. This is the second book in Niko's Sarah Weston Chronicles, following The Tenth Saint.D.J. Niko is tourning virtually with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for The Riddle of Solomon from June 24 - July 19, you can see the full list of stops below.Publication Date: July 1, 2013Medallion PressPaperback; 472pISBN-10: 160542529XpCambridge archaeologist Sarah Weston and anthropologist Daniel Madigan team up for another expedition and adventure in this second book in the Sarah Weston Chronicles. While working on the Qaryat al-Fau archaeological site in Saudi Arabia, the pair uncovers a mysterious ancient scroll composed as a riddle. As they attempt to date and decipher the scroll, a flurry of ills befalls their expedition and the scroll is stolen. A trail of clues leads to India, Jerusalem, and the Judean wilderness, where the two discover the scroll was written by the enigmatic King Solomon as a map to an ancient manuscript. Meanwhile a privileged young Briton, Trent Sacks, has invested years and a fortune looking for his manuscript. Believing he is the last descendant of the House of David in the line of Solomon, Sacks will do whatever it takes to amass the ancient relics which will prove he is the Jewish Messiah. Leaving a string of murders in his wake, Sacks vows to crush Sarah and Daniel for challenging his quest. Journeying through the worlds of the occult, corporate greed, geopolitical conflict, Judaic mysticism, and biblical archaeology, Sarah and Daniel race to uncover the powerful ancient message that could have an explosive impact on modern Israel.

Praise for The Riddle of Solomon

"D. J. Niko's storytelling carries the grit of desert dust and the seductive scent of incense on every page as Sarah Weston races with a madman to save the treasures that King Solomon left behind." —Mary Anna Evans, award-winning author, Artifacts and Wounded Earth
"The Riddle of Solomon is authentic and inspiring." --Laurence O'Bryan, best-selling author of The Jerusalem Puzzle and The Istanbul Puzzle

"Take a dash of Dan Brown, a sprinkle of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and a whole lot of originality, and you've got the recipe for D.J. Niko's latest novel, the second in the spellbinding Sarah Weston saga. For readers who like their adventures steeped in research, authenticity, and nonstop intrigue, The Riddle of Solomon is highly recommended!" -- Ronald Malfi, award-winning author of Floating Staircase and Cradle Lake

About the Author

D.J. Niko is the nom de plume of Daphne Nikolopoulos, an award-winning author and journalist. Her first novel, titled The Tenth Saint, was released in March 2012 to rave reviews by both readers and the trade. In March 2013, it was awarded the Gold Medal for popular fiction in the prestigious, juried Florida Book Awards. An archaeological thriller embroidered with historical motifs, The Tenth Saint takes readers on an adventure across the globe: Ethiopia, the Syro-Arabian Desert and Abyssinian Empire circa fourth century, London, Paris, Brussels, and Texas. The Tenth Saint is the first book in The Sarah Weston Chronicles series. The second, titled The Riddle of Solomon, releases July 1, 2013.

Daphne is now at work on a historical novel set in tenth century B.C.E. Israel. The epic story details the collapse of the United Monarchy and the glory and fall of the empire built by King Solomon. It will be released in early 2015.

As a former travel journalist, Daphne has traveled across the globe on assignment, or for personal discovery. She has been to some places most of us don’t realize are on the map, and she has brought them to life through her writing for various magazines, newspapers and websites on an international scale. Her travel background and rich experiences now bring authentic detail, color, and realism to her fiction.

She also is the editor in chief of Palm Beach Illustrated magazine, a 62-year-old luxury-lifestyle glossy. She also is the editorial director of Palm Beach Media Group, and in that capacity oversees 11 magazines and 3 websites.

She is the mother of twin toddlers and, in her spare time, volunteers for causes she believes in—literacy, education, child advocacy, and the advancement of traditional and tribal arts from around the world. Born in Athens, Greece, she now lives with her family in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Passages to the Past is pleased to be hosting author Brandy Purdy with a giveaway as part of her virtual tour with HF Virtual Book Tours for the release of her latest novel, The Queen's Rivals!Brandy is on tour through August 7th, so be sure to check out the schedule of stops below.

Their ambitions were ordinary, but they were born too close to the throne...
As cousins of history's most tempestuous queens, Ladies Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey were born in an age when all of London lived beneath the Tower's menacing shadow. Tyrannized by Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen, the sisters feared love was unthinkable —and the scaffold all but unavoidable...
Raised to fear her royal blood and what it might lead men to do in her name, Mary Grey dreads what will become of herself and her elder sisters under the reigns of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. On their honor, they have no designs on the crown, yet are condemned to solitude, forbidden to wed. Though Mary, accustomed to dwelling in the shadows, the subject of whispers, may never catch the eye of a gentleman, her beautiful and brilliant sisters long for freedoms that would surely cost their lives. And so, wizened for her years, Mary can only hope for divine providence amid a bleak present and a future at the whim of the throne — unless destiny gains the upper hand.
A gripping and bittersweet tale of broken families and broken hearts, courage and conviction, The Queen's Rivals recounts an astonishing chapter in the hard-won battle for the Tudor throne.

Please note this book will be published in the UK on September 12, 2013 as THE FALLEN QUEEN by Emily Purdy.

About the Author

Brandy Purdy (Emily Purdy in the UK) is the author of the historical novels THE CONFESSION OF PIERS GAVESTON, THE BOLEYN WIFE (THE TUDOR WIFE), THE TUDOR THRONE (MARY & ELIZABETH), THE QUEEN'S PLEASURE (A COURT AFFAIR), and THE QUEEN'S RIVALS (THE FALLEN QUEEN). An ardent book lover since early childhood, she first became interested in history at the age of nine or ten years old when she read a book of ghost stories which contained a chapter about Anne Boleyn haunting the Tower of London.

Visit her website at www.brandypurdy.com, you can also follow her, and her cat Tabby, via her blog at http://brandypurdy.blogspot.com where she posts updates about her work and weekly book reviews.

Giveaway

Passages to the Past has one copy of The Queen's Rivals up for grabs. To enter, please complete entry form below.